Canning Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 teaspoons coarse salt - (to 8)

12 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation

Wash 8 quart jars, lids and rubber seals in hot soapy water and rinse. Place the jars and lids in boiling water for 30 seconds to sterilize them. Wash a large canner and lid and dry.

Peel and core the tomatoes and cut into halves or quarters.

For the Raw Pack method: Pack the raw tomatoes into canning jars to 1/2-inch from the top. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice to each quart of tomatoes.

For the Hot Pack method: Bring the raw tomatoes to a boil in a stainless steel pot. Then pack into jars to 1/2-inch from top. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice to each quart. Be sure the tomatoes are covered with their juice.

For either method (raw or hot-pack) be sure to wipe the necks and tops of each jar, fit with a rubber seal and lid, and seal. Fill the canner (it should be deep enough that the level of the water will be 3 to 4 inches above the tops of the sealed jars) two-thirds full with water. Place a rack inside the canner so the jars won't touch one another or the sides of the canner. Bring to a boil.

Place the jars in the rack and process raw-pack tomatoes for 50 minutes, hot-pack tomatoes for 45 minutes. Immediately remove the jars from the boiling water and let sit several inches apart on a cooling rack or kitchen towel, away from drafts until cool.

After the jars have cooled, check the seals to see that the top resists the pressure of your finger. If there is some give, chances are high that it is not properly sealed. In that case, either eat the tomatoes immediately or transfer to another sterilized jar and process again. Label the jars and store in a dry, dark place.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 quarts.

Yield: 6 to 8 quarts